I agree with you 100% Fran, I've been on about that for years and I don't blame people for not voting considering the bunch they have to pick from, all tarred with the same 'Party' brush, maybe if everybody refused to vote they would have to rethink the whole thing, give me a candidate who puts the people and the country before the party, is proven to be honest and not greedy and they will have my vote, but I might as well dream here as in bed, it will never happen.

There are a few things Australia does very well and it's electoral system is one of them.

Voting is compulsory so you get nearly 100% turnout, No one can quibble with the result and you don't get the unseemly sight of old ladies being dragged kicking and screaming to polling stations by party members in fleets of cars. Even if people just number down the paper (the donkey vote) it is still a vote and deserves to be counted.

Elections are always held on a Saturday.

Voting is preferential or in the case of most state elections optional preferential. This means that no matter who you vote for your vote is not wasted as in the stupid first past the post system. Basically you put numbers in sequence starting from 1 next to each candidate's name. The winner is the candidate who gets 50% of the vote plus 1.

How it works is explained here

Each jurisdiction has an upper and lower house (except Queensland) all elected. Some state governments have fixed four year terms, the federal government lower house has a three year term (again I think much better that Britain's 5 year term) while the senate is a 6 year term but half are up for election every 3 years. It is possible for a government to call a double dissolution (ie all senate seats are up for election) if bills are blocked in the senate BUT few are brave enough because the lower quota required allows small parties more chance of winning a seat. - It has only happened half a dozen times since the demise of the dinosaurs and again it stops extreme legislation getting through since these days rarely does a major party have control of the upper house. It leads to much better government.

Britain could do well to imitate it if it ever becomes a democracy.

Great idea Arfa - could you ensure it happens please......
If only -eh.....

We are a democracy, problem is getting the lazy B's off their backsides to vote.
I think the only thing that should not be democratic, is the right to vote, make it compulsory with a very large fine if you don't go.
You don't have to vote for anybody you don't want to, you just scrap your vote, but I believe people will be more thoughtful to whom they give their vote to.

We are a democracy, problem is getting the lazy B's off their backsides to vote.
I think the only thing that should not be democratic, is the right to vote, make it compulsory with a very large fine if you don't go.
You don't have to vote for anybody you don't want to, you just scrap your vote, but I believe people will be more thoughtful to whom they give their vote to.

de·moc·ra·cy
/diˈmäkrəsē/
Noun

A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
A state governed in such a way.

yes bruce i never looked at another system other than ( like you say ) our dinosaur out dated 18th century system when you put it down like you have even old thicko like me understands it very well